This application claims the benefit of Dutch Patent Application No. 1013634, which was filed on Nov. 22, 1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension system for products comprising a base for fixing to a wall of a space, provided with at least one product holder which on a first side is connected displaceably to the profile and on a second side comprises a suspension member which is able to receive a product. The invention further relates to a product holder for such a suspension system.
2. Description of Related Art
In both the home and work situation it regularly occurs that products lie around for a long time which should really be stored away properly. The available storage space is however often insufficient and inadequate. An example in the home situation is for instance tools, and particularly gardening tools. These tools are often spread about in different places or placed together in a corner of a garage or shed, whereby the rearmost tools are difficult to reach. Diverse suspension systems, for instance for gardening tools, are commercially available per se, but these generally require a relatively large wall area which is not always available or only provides space for a limited number of the tools.
The present invention has for its object to provide a suspension system for products which has a relatively large storage capacity while occupying comparatively little wall space.
A suspension system according to the invention has the feature for this purpose that the base comprises at least two mutually telescopic profiles and that on the first side the product holder is connected to at least one of the profiles not only displaceably but also for rotation on a longitudinal axis. The invention is herein based on the insight that a particularly efficient suspension system can be achieved with the combination of an extending system with rotatable product holders. In the case of for instance gardening tools, these are placed in the system in an extended position of the system and then optionally turned such that the narrowest dimension of the tool lies in the profile direction. In this position the base is pushed in again so as to obtain the highest possible packing density. In order to remove the tools again, these steps can be followed in reverse sequence. It is thus possible that the thus suspended products cannot be removed immediately in the push-in position of the base, but this is still possible by extending the base and optionally turning the relevant product holder.
A particular embodiment of the suspension system has the feature according to the invention that the profiles are both provided with a cavity extending axially therein and have a cross-section of at least practically the same shape and that one of the profiles is arranged fitting displaceably in the cavity of the other profile. In this case both profiles are received telescopically in each other such that an exceptionally compact and robust entity is obtained. When telescoped, only the length of the outer profile is available and the suspended products are packed relatively tightly together. In order to remove the products, the inner profile can however be easily extended to thus lengthen the whole. This elongated position provides the possibility of spreading the suspended products over a greater length, so that a product is more readily accessible for removal. If desired, the product can herein be turned into the desired orientation with the product holder.
In a further particular embodiment the suspension system according to the invention is characterized in that the profiles comprise longitudinal slots which at least partly overlap each other and which provide access to the cavity, and that the product holder protrudes with a shank through the longitudinal slot of the at least one profile and on the first side comprises an anchoring member which is displaceably anchored in the cavity of the at least one profile. The product holders are herein received displaceably in the cavity of the at least one profile with the anchoring member. The displaceable anchoring provides the option of guiding the product holders at least axially through the cavity of the profile, while the product holders also allow rotation. Because the guiding of the product holders takes place in the profile and not for instance thereover, this moving part of the system is protected against dirt and sand and the like, which in the long term could otherwise adversely affect the displaceability of the product holders.
A preferred embodiment of the suspension system has the feature according to the invention that the anchoring member comprises a ball which is situated on an end of the shank of the product holder and which has a diameter greater than a width of the longitudinal slot. Such an anchoring member is not only relatively simple to realize, but simultaneously provides the product holder with both an axial freedom in the profile and a rotatability on its own axis. A further particular embodiment of the suspension system according to the invention is characterized herein in that the ball at least almost makes contact with at least two mutually opposite walls of the cavity, in order to thus limit the clearance of the ball in the profile to a minimum.
During use the ball slides constantly through the slot and the cavity of the profile. A possible protective layer on the ball may thereby wear quickly, whereby the material of the ball becomes exposed. With a particular eye to outdoor applications, a further preferred embodiment of the suspension system according to the invention has the feature that at least the ball of the product holder is manufactured from a corrosion-resistant material. Because at least the ball is thus manufactured from a corrosion-resistant material, it will nevertheless remain resistant to weather influences despite wearing through of a possible coating. Corrosion of the ball is hereby prevented, which not only enhances the appearance but, more importantly, furthermore ensures displaceability of the product holders for a long period.
In a pushed-in position of both profiles the product holder is anchored in the inner of the two telescopic profiles. In an extended position the product holder can however slide freely out of the cavity in the one profile into that of the other profile. In order to prevent a disturbing transition between the two profiles occurring here as a result of the wall thickness of the inner profile, a further preferred embodiment of the suspension system according to the invention has the feature that the longitudinal slot in at least the one profile comprises an oblique edge for receiving the ball of the product holder thereon. Since the ball herein lies on the oblique edge, it is possible to achieve that the, imaginary, underside of the ball lies at least practically at the height of the inner wall of the outer profile, even though the ball is situated in the inner profile. There will therefore occur no or hardly any disturbing transition or other interruption of the sliding movement of the ball in the two profiles.
In a further particular embodiment the suspension system according to the invention is characterized in that the product holder comprises a shoulder from which depend two at least practically congruent hooks. The product holders thus form as it were a claw which is found to be particularly suitable for practical storage therein of diverse types of household and gardening tools. A further preferred embodiment herein has the feature that the shoulder and the hooks have a rounding with at least practically the same radius of curvature. The choice of the same rounding for the should and the hooks offers particular advantages from a production engineering viewpoint, since only one production mould or other tool is thus required to make both roundings. The rounding of the shoulder moreover has the advantage that in a telescopic system as described above the product holders are less likely to protrude with the shoulder into the slot of the profiles, which could otherwise result in juddering and jolting of the axial movement. Finally, a uniform rounding is also especially attractive from an aesthetic viewpoint.